Tree Removal / Habitat / Environmental Compliance

Our service area includes unincorporated Pinellas County, including Belleair Bluffs, Belleair Shore, Indian Shores and Redington Shores. Residents in other areas of Pinellas County will need to contact their cities directly.

Pinellas County Municode: Chapter 138 Division 3 and Chapter 166

Environmental and Natural Resource Protection

Trees and native vegetation provide beneficial public resources. It’s crucial to protect our natural ecosystem by:

  • Maintaining adequate tree numbers.
  • Replanting vegetation.
  • Landscaping vehicular areas.
  • Managing undesirable plants.
  • Preserving wildlife and its habitat.
  • Providing a tree bank fund.

For questions, call us at (727) 464-3480 or email bdrsgroup@pinellas.gov.

Applications for Tree Removal and/or Construction

Exotic Tree Removal

  • Sec. 138-3653: Undesirable trees/plants
  • Undesirable Plant Species List
  • Undesirable plant species removal requires a permit, but most are not assessed a fee. In designated conservation easements and wetlands regulated under F.S. 373 and F.S. 403, the department must approve any removal plan that addresses targeted species, the extent and method of removal, stabilization measures and more.

Landscaping Options

Habitat Management and Protection

Protection

  • Sec. 166-49: Vegetation protection during construction
  • All trees 4S diameter at breast height (DBH) or greater, or any vegetation within wetland and/or upland buffer areas
  • Sec. 166-50: Upland buffer adjacent to wetlands
  • Sec. 166-52: Protection of endangered, threatened or species of special concern

Vegetation Maintenance

  • Sec. 138-3651: Application of landscape regulations and required maintenance
  • Sec. 166-56: Vegetation installation and maintenance

Other Environmental Regulations

Removal of Trees from Public Right-of-Way

Tree removal within the public right-of-way requires a Right-of-Way Utilization Permit.

Mangrove Trimming

Additional Resources

  • Watershed Management protects and improves the environmental and aesthetic quality of County surface waters, such as creeks, streams, lakes, bays and coastal waters.
  • Mangroves are protected by the State’s Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act. Pinellas County enforces this statute.

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